Caja Caliente in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood is known for its Cuban-Mexican tacos. The popular restaurant is on Second Avenue between 27th and 26th streets. Quirky furniture and colorful murals surround a parked white food truck.
On Thursday morning, it was painful for the restaurant owner, Monica "Mika" Leon, to learn that someone had broken into her restaurant. It's never a good time for a burglar, but the former food blogger recently invested on a second location in Coral Gables.
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It was the second time a burglar targeted the restaurant since the 28-year-old entrepreneur opened it in 2016. This time a burglar took the iPads used to process credit card payments, keys and less than $50 in cash.
She said there was also some property damage.
"It was an invasion of privacy and more than anything it was unfortunate to not be able to open today for our regular costumers," Leon, 28, said.
A Miami Police Department officer, who is a regular customer at the restaurant, and surveillance video helped detectives to identify Jemall Gordon, 46, as the suspect of the 4:30 a.m. burglary.
Miami-Dade corrections officers booked Gordon to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center about 7:30 p.m. The credit card processing company is replacing the iPads and Leon was able to change the locks and repair the damage.
Gordon, who was out on a felony bond on another burglary case, has a long criminal history that includes trespassing, burglaries, theft and cocaine possession. He is facing one more burglary charge.
"At this point, we are grateful that there is one less criminal on the streets," Leon said.